DSV Panalpina Acquires Agility’s Logistics Business

Two years after the acquisition of Panalpina, DSV Panalpina announces another major acquisition: Agility Global Integrated Logistics (GIL). This M&A is part of DSV Panalpina’s strategy, and the company has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to acquire and successfully integrate companies with similar business models. The value of the GIL acquisition is USD 4.2 billion.

(Hedehusene/DK) Global Integrated Logistics is part of Agility and one of the world’s leading freight forwarding and contract logistics providers (3PL). In 2020, the company generated revenue of USD 4 billion, primarily related to air and sea freight, and employed around 17,000 people.

Enhancing Competitiveness Across All Business Areas

DSV recently completed the integration of its largest acquisition to date, the Swiss Panalpina. With the acquisition of GIL, DSV Panalpina becomes the third-largest transport and logistics company in the world, with a combined pro forma revenue of approximately DKK 142 billion (around USD 22 billion) – an increase of about 23% – and a total workforce of more than 70,000 employees.

In particular, the Air & Sea division, the largest division of DSV Panalpina, will be significantly strengthened by the acquisition of GIL, solidifying its rank among the world’s largest providers with nearly 2.8 million containers (TEU) and over 1.6 million tons of air freight annually. The contract logistics capabilities, which are becoming increasingly important due to complex supply chains and changing distribution channels, will enhance DSV’s Solutions business with an additional warehouse capacity of over 1.4 million square meters, primarily in APAC and the Middle East. Furthermore, GIL will strengthen DSV’s network in both Europe and the Middle East in road freight activities, thereby increasing DSV’s competitiveness across all three business areas.

Corporate Synergies

DSV and GIL are well-matched due to similarities in business models, services, and strategies. According to DSV Panalpina’s Group CEO, Jens Bjørn Andersen, there are many good reasons to partner with the transport and logistics provider from the Middle East:

“GIL and DSV fit together perfectly, and we are proud to announce our agreement for the merger. The combination of our two global networks gives us the opportunity to provide our customers with an even higher level of service. GIL’s strong market position in APAC and the Middle East complements the DSV network well and will support our long-term value creation ambitions. Our two groups already share a culture of entrepreneurship and local accountability, and we look forward to welcoming GIL’s talented employees to DSV.”

DSV has long been known for its acquisition strategy and has proven successful in both acquiring and integrating companies, most recently with Panalpina in 2019 and American UTi Worldwide in 2015. The focus on scalability remains one of the key competitive advantages in freight forwarding with significant operational effort and commercial benefits in a highly fragmented market.

Conditions and Approvals

DSV Panalpina and GIL expect to complete the transaction in the third quarter of 2021, provided that conditions are met and the necessary approvals are obtained. Until then, DSV Panalpina and GIL will continue to operate separately and independently.

Photo: © DSV